Download - Australia Background information 2008
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Australia
Background Information
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Australia!
Australia is an island, surrounded by water. It is located on the smallest continent in the world.It is the sixth largest country in the world.
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Official Name
Commonwealth of AustraliaQueen Elizabeth II has been the head of state since 1973The Queen is represented by a governor-general and by a governor in each state
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Government
Democratic, federal-state system recognizing British monarch as sovereign.Independence (federation): January 1, 1901.Head of state is the British monarch
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Government Cont…
Legislative--(76 Senators, 150-House of Representatives). The House of Representatives selects the Prime Minister as head of government, who then appoints his cabinet. Judicial--independent judiciary.Administrative subdivisions: Six states and two territories.
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Aussie Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd26th Prime MinisterAssumed office Dec 3rd 2007Head of the Australian Labor Party
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Area and Population
Area: (7,617,930 sq km) (2,941,285 sq miles) About the Size of the 48 U.S StatesPopulation (2007 est.): 21 million ( over 70% in Cities and towns)Capital City: Canberra (pop. 327, 700)
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Australia: States and Territories
A federation of six states and two mainland
territories
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Major Cities
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Capital Cities and Population
Sydney, New South Wales, 4.3mMelbourne, Victoria, 3.6.Brisbane, Queensland, 1.6mPerth, Western Australia, 1.5mAdelaide, South Australia, 1.1mCanberra, National Capital, Au. Cap. Territory, 327,700Hobart, Tasmania, 189,4000Darwin, Northern Territory, 96,200
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Geography
Australia is the driest and flattest inhabited continent, and has the oldest and least fertile soils. Largest part of Australia is desert or semi-aridThe western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast.
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Geography cont…
Only the SE and SW corners of the continent have a temperate climate. The northern part, with a tropical climate, has a vegetation consisting of rainforest, woodland, grassland and desert.
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Australia Geography and Climate
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Geography
Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coastHighest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The Great Barrier Reef along the NE coast is about 1,245 mi (2,000 km).The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
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CLIMATE
Pleasant, with two distinct zones.North of the Tropic of Capricorn--mostly tropical with wet condition in the summer and dry conditions in the winter.Summer heat all deserts (north and south), and temperatures sometimes exceed 120ºF.
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Climate cont…
In the south, below the Tropic of Capricorn weather conditions are temperate and include the four seasons.Australia's seasons are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere --Spring (Sept-Nov), Summer (Dec-Feb), Fall (Mar-May) and Winter (Jun-Aug).
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Australia Climate and Weather
http://www.australia.com/?ta_cid=us:2007:google:search:core
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Other info and Economy
Years of Compulsory education is age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16 Literacy Level 99%Work Force (10.4 m)
Service 72.2%Manufacturing 10.3 %Mining 4.9%Agriculture 3%Public Administration and defense 3.8%
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Currency: AUD to $1USD
Currency: Basic units—Australian Dollar 100 cents = 1 AU$.
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History
Australia's aboriginal inhabitants (a hunting-gathering people), referred to today as Aboriginals and Torres Straits Islanders, arrived more than 40,000 years agoCurrent aboriginal population is approx. 517,200 (about 2.5% of the population)The government and the public are now trying to be more responsive to aboriginal rights and needs.
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History Cont…
Claimed in 1770 by Captain James Cook for Great Britain.On January 26, 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day) the first group of settlers arrived establishing a colony on the east coast of Australia, in New South WalesEarlier arrivals were mostly convicts.
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Selected Aussie Landmarks
Twelve Apostles and Blue Mountains
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Great Barrier Reef
1,200 miles of coral--the largest living structure in the world.
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Home to many unique animals
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Opera House and Sydney Bridge
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Ayers Rock--Uluru
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Outback
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Outback